International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

p-ISSN: 1694-2620
e-ISSN: 1694-2639
Vol. 8 No. 6, pp. 36-46, ©IJHSS

Searching for unity in variety: The role of aesthetics and

philosophy of science

Frederick Mordi
School of Media and Communication
Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract
This article attempts to deconstruct the concept of aesthetics using the postulates of various
scholars as a guide. Adopting literature review as methodology, it subjects some of these
postulates such as Immanuel Kant‘s aesthetic judgements and Denis Dutton‘s aesthetic
universals, to rigorous philosophical interrogation. It also attempts to explain the construct,
philosophy of science and dwells extensively on Thomas Kuhn‘s scholarly work: ‗The Structure
of Scientific Revolutions.‘ The article adds some African perspectives to the debate and tries to
establish a correlation between aesthetics and human feelings on the one hand; and between
philosophy of science and human behaviour, on the other hand. Finally, it attempts to find a
conjunction between aesthetics, philosophy of science and the human person. This is the key
thrust of the article. The paper submits that there is a close relationship between aesthetics and
philosophy of science, which are in the same search for unity in a variety of human experiences,
based on these arguments.
Key words: Aesthetics, philosophy of science, human feelings, taste, aesthetic judgements.

Introduction
A few years ago, some Muslim radicals caused global outcry when they demolished treasured
religious icons, which they described as idolatrous, in Timbuktu in Mali, and Palmyra in Syria.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) joined students of history in condemning the act. The
ICC went a step further by extending its jurisdiction to prosecuting not just war criminals but
also looters of historical monuments.
In September 2016, the ICC successfully tried and jailed Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, a
Malian, who was found guilty of masterminding the destruction of cultural artefacts during the
armed conflict in the West African country. According to Lostal (2016) the ICC sentenced him
to nine years of imprisonment for the crimes that he committed in 2012. Lostal (2016) also
observes that the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
coordinated international efforts to restore these mausoleums, in collaboration with the Malian
Ministry of Culture. This is a good example of how international organisations are collaborating
to preserve valued aesthetic artefacts, and it provides a background to this discussion, which is
on aesthetics, philosophy of science and the attitude of the human person towards arts and
culture in general. While aesthetics is primarily concerned with the appreciation of art, beauty
and taste, philosophy of science on the other hand, tries to comprehend and explain the marvels
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of the universe (Singer, 1994). Philosophy of science deals with the fundamentals and
approaches of science that can help elucidate natural phenomena and human behaviour.
For instance, one of the questions that aestheticians often ask in trying to comprehend
man‘s attitude towards the arts in general, is why do people find certain things beautiful? The
popular saying ―beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,‖ attributed to Plato, may not fully answer
this question, as there are other eclectic concepts involved in making aesthetic judgements on the
subject of beauty that transcend this rather simplistic view. Ganyi (2014) believes that aesthetic
judgment is purely a matter of individual opinion, rather than societal. Immanuel Kant, one of
the most influential of the early theorists in aesthetics, shares this view. According to Kant, an
individual's understanding of beauty is subjective and depends on his class, cultural background
and education (Kant, 1790). This means, for example, that a person of low class is likely to have
low taste as well, while an individual who belongs to the upper echelon of society will be
decidedly sophisticated in taste. Kant goes on to say that aesthetic judgements are culturally
conditioned and dynamic in nature. He backs his assertion by pointing out that while Britons in
the Victorian era considered artworks of African origin as ugly, the Edwardians, who later
emerged, had positive views about African sculpture. That explains why some people find certain
things beautiful, while others do not.
There appears to be some merit in the Kantian hypothesis as Victorians are renowned
for their prudery. For instance, Anderson (2015) hilariously cites how Victorians once covered
the naked legs of a table with skirts because they were embarrassed at the sight. Therefore, it is
unlikely that they would appreciate African carvings, no matter how beautiful they may be. It is
also quite probable that Victorians might have inadvertently associated these artworks with
paganism. Assuming this was their mind set then, it must have obviously beclouded their
reasoning and made them to painfully ignore the striking aspects of African works of arts.
However, this does not in any way suggest that the Victorians lack a sense of appreciation of
objects of beauty. They are certainly not philistines that are reputed for their poor taste in the
arts. It just had to do with their mind set. But then there is no uniformity of values. That explains
why individual and social variables affect aesthetic judgements.
Nevertheless, Kant avers that objectivity and universality—the concept that certain
things are beautiful to everyone—are central to aesthetics. He rigorously defends his position
that judgments about artistic beauty, which he terms ‗judgments of taste,‘ should have universal
applicability (Kant, 1987). This assessment is largely subjective as there appears to be no
common standard for measuring artistic beauty, or a universally accepted definition of aesthetics
(Naukkarinen & Bragge, 2016). For instance, what some cultures would view as artistic beauty,
would be considered quite the opposite in other cultures. So, the Kantian concept of ‗universal
applicability‘ of the arts, may not be paradigmatic. However, taste seems to enjoy wide
acceptance. David Hume appears to subscribe to this view. In his essay, ‗Of the Standard of
Taste,‘ he posits that ―the general principles of taste are uniform in human nature‖ (Hume,
1757). This suggests the universality of taste. Hume adds that people should judge beauty based
on taste and not reason. The Victorians appear guilty of judging African artworks based on
reason and not taste.
How should value be placed on a work of art? This is the problem that this paper will
attempt to resolve. Its goal is to find out whether there is a relationship between culture and an
appreciation of the art. The paper has the following objectives: to determine the extent to which
culture influences aesthetics; to find out if there is a relationship between aesthetics and
philosophy of science; and to know the extent to which aesthetics and philosophy of science
influence the feelings of the human person. The following research questions arise from these
objectives: to what extent does culture influence how an artwork is perceived? Is there a
relationship between aesthetics and philosophy of science? How do aesthetics and philosophy of

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science influence the feelings of the human person? This paper uses review of relevant literature
as methodology because it deals with conceptual issues.
Art and Morality
Is there a connection between art and morality? This is another key question that aestheticians
often ask. To tackle this question, it may be illuminating to dwell briefly on the controversies that
surrounded the erection of the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal. The 49 metres
(160 feet) tall statue of a man, a woman and a child, is reportedly the tallest statue in Africa and a
major attraction for tourists visiting Senegal. The monument is located at the top of a hill
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. However, the monument, which is former Senegalese President
Abdoulaye Wade‘s concept of Africa‘s rebirth, has come under scathing attacks. For the ordinary
Senegalese, their grouse is the perceived prohibitive cost of the project, which is estimated at
$27million. Some moralists believe that the topless statue is not in keeping with traditional
African values, which place emphasis on decency. Muslims in the country view the monument as
a symbol of paganism, while aficionados of art aver that the statue in question simply lacks
artistic sophistication. These criticisms notwithstanding, the statue continues to attract tourists.
The issue of aesthetics and morality also played out when the Iranian President, Hassan
Rouhani, a Muslim, visited Italy in January 2016. Attendants at a local museum in Rome had to
hastily ‗clothe‘ semi-nude statues of women to avoid insulting sensibilities when Rouhani took a
tour. But many Italians condemned this act, which they described as ‗cultural submission.‘
Esposito (2011) states that the Quran is against all forms of veneration of statues, even though it
does not seem to have a clear position on human representation in sculptures. That explains the
decision of the attendants to conceal some of the more evocative artworks from the visiting
Iranian President. The attitude of Muslims towards art appears to be one devoid of any
sentimental attachment—a sort of ‗art for art‘s sake.‘ Interestingly, when Leonardo di Caprio, a
popular Hollywood actor, visited the museum a week earlier, there was no such ‗cover up.‘ This
evidently demonstrates that aesthetic appreciation is culturally relative.
Aesthetics and Religion
As earlier stated, aesthetics also extends to the religious realm. The two major religions in the
world today, Christianity and Islam, have different views on aesthetics. In Christianity, art is
strongly encouraged and funded by the Church in some cases. Michelangelo‘s famous
renaissance sculpture, ‗David,‘ and Leonardo da Vinci‘s fifteenth century painting, ‗The Last
Supper,‘ are vivid examples of artworks that depict Biblical persons and events. Conversely,
adherents of Islam deem human works of art to be inherently flawed, compared to the work of
Allah, and as such, any attempt to mimic nature in an art form, is considered disrespect to Allah.
This seems to be the reason some radical Islamic fundamentalists are bent on destroying world
heritage sites in Africa and the Middle East.
Aesthetics and Culture
Another concept that is associated with aesthetics is cultural universality. This presupposes that
all cultures have some form of aesthetic creation such as oral or written histories, relics, and
songs. A vivid example is the Japanese tea drinking ritual, which some people view as an art form
due to the intricacies that it involves (Okakura, 1906). The tea ceremony blends aesthetics with
culture so well that it fills a foreigner who happens to participate in one of such events, with a
sense of admiration. This custom has helped to draw attention to the culinary culture of the
Japanese. The same thing goes for the Ekitis of South West Nigeria, where pounding of yams for
a meal, is considered an art.

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 Evidently stressing the connection between aesthetics and culture, Russian writer and
aesthetician, Leo Tolstoy points out that the universality of art lies in its ability to connect people
across cultures (Tolstoy, 1959). Tolstoy‘s assertion is true to an extent as the cross-cultural
features of aesthetics largely account for the wide acceptance of some works of art in virtually all
cultures. That explains why tourists from all over the world often visit Paris to view the Eiffel
Tower or the Statue of Liberty in New York, for instance. Aristotle (1980) also believes that the
arts generally are mimetic in the sense that they attempt to recreate nature through statues and
paintings. He called this process mimetic naturalism, which simply means that art imitates nature.
Though Aristotle‘s mimetic naturalism focused on the culture of ancient Greeks, it is largely
generalisable as there is hardly any culture where this concept does not play out. The art of
imitation begins from infancy and continues into adulthood. Several inventions of man are
imitations of nature.
Paintings of landscapes, which depict nature, also enjoy universal appreciation because
they are more realistic when compared to the more elitist abstract arts that use forms in a non-
representational way (Orians and Heerwagen, 1992). For this reason, most people find it difficult
to appreciate abstract works of art. This tends to affect their interpretation and judgement of
nonconcrete art forms. Wypijewski (1997) validates this assertion while making reference to the
result of a poll of the art preferences of individuals of 10 different countries across four
continents. According to the result, a majority of the participants reported convergence of
interests in terms of choice of favourite colour, for instance.
Artistic Change
While it is in man‘s inherent nature to imitate things that he fancies, his taste and style are often
capricious. Berlyne (1971) and Martindale (1990) in separate studies, attempt to establish the
reasons for this artistic change. They believe that artistic change is driven largely by the need to
escape replication and tedium, rather than innovation, as previously assumed. This yearning for
freshness and distinctiveness in artistic styles, is the driving force behind habituation, the
principle that predicts the ability of human beings to change their tastes and styles, with time.
According to Martindale (1990) habituation is ―the single force that has pushed art always in a
consistent direction.‖ Habituation tends to promote positive changes in society. For instance,
artistic change becomes imperative as audiences get satiated and increasingly bored with a
performance. Artists are forced to up their game by creating more awful images and using more
explicit language to keep their fickle audiences meaningfully engaged. This trend is quite
noticeable in the movie industry where the audience have become desensitised to violence.
Movie makers in Hollywood and elsewhere have tried to match the demands of this seemingly
insatiable audience by concomitantly producing films with more violent and erotic content. The
same principle is applicable to the entertainment industry where nudity and luridness have
become deeply entrenched.
This trend has also crept into the Nigerian film industry. That is why regulatory bodies
such as the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigerian Film and Video Censors
Board (NFVCB) have had to ban some local songs and programmes considered to have explicit
sexual content. The Big Brother Africa Reality Television show (BBA) that runs on the platform
of Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) is one of such programmes. According to Lengnan (2013),
the BBA is one of the most popular reality television shows in Africa. This is obviously due to
the large viewership that the programme enjoys. The Nigerian government once banned BBA
from airing in the country due to its perceived erotic nature that is considered capable of vitiating
morals of younger viewers (Ezike and Onyekachi, 2015). Results of studies that Ezike and
Onyekachi (2015) carried out among undergraduates in Ebonyi State University in South East
Nigeria indicated that the reality show has indeed exposed young Nigerians to all sorts of sexual

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vices. Critics believe that the show is a serious threat to cherished traditional African values,
which hold chastity in high esteem.
These shortcomings notwithstanding, artistic works, particularly literary works, possess
didactic values (Pinker, 1997). These principles, in turn, can help to foster acceptable behaviour
when properly harnessed. For instance, Miguel Sabido, a renowned Mexican film maker,
successfully demonstrated how entertainment and education can be employed to bring about
behavioural and social change in society (Khalid & Ahmed, 2014). Sabido drew his inspiration
from the mimetic nature of the arts and applied it to the theatre. Indeed, Dissanayake (1997)
believes a deep appreciation of aesthetic experiences affords human beings immense pleasure.
This is quite true as the drama genre earlier mentioned, is not only edifying but is also
entertaining and educative. People visit cinemas to fulfil a need and that is, basically, to be
entertained. Ganyi (2014) amplifies this view, while noting that modern Nigerian drama and
theatre have become veritable tools for mass mobilisation and conscientisation of the common
people for revolutionary action.
Aesthetic Universals
Despite the wide array of differences relating to the aesthetic experiences of individuals and
cultures, there are certain features that appear to have found universal acceptance. According to
Dutton (2001) there are seven of such features known as the aesthetic universals and they
include:
(i) Expertise or virtuosity: This presupposes that human beings recognise and respect
artistic skills, which may be acquired or innate.
(ii) Non-Utilitarian: This assumes that people derive no tangible benefit from an art work
because it serves no functional purpose.
(iii) Style: This feature accepts that all objects of beauty are created in easily identifiable
styles, which are subject to change according to the taste of individuals and cultures.
(iv) Criticism: This is one of the enduring principles of aesthetics and it is largely governed
by an individual‘s perception and interpretation of works of art.
(v) Imitation: Most artworks mimic experiences of the real world. However, abstract
painting and sculpture are non-representational. That means they do not imitate
nature.
(vi) Special focus: People pay particular attention to their works of art or acts, and take
immense pride in them. Dissanayake (1997) calls this process ―making special.‖ For
instance, traditional wedding ceremonies in most Nigerian cultures are a big deal and
often involve different cultures coming together. Their modes of dressing, dancing or
greeting, reflect their aesthetic experiences.
(vii) Imagination: This is the major lever of all aesthetics endeavours. It presumes that
artistic works take their roots in the mind and are fertilised and nourished by
experiences.
Clearly, Dutton‘s aesthetic universals highlighted above, are quite instructive in understanding
cross-cultural experiences. All the elements in this list are applicable to all cultures. Take for
example, expertise, which is the first feature. Highly skilled footballers such as Lionel Messi and
Cristiano Ronaldo, have a huge global fan base that transcend gender, age and race. This throws
up the age-old question of nature versus nurture. Is a genius born or made? Can a person be
trained to become a good footballer like Messi and Ronaldo, if he does not have the natural
inclination? These questions are germane to this paper and they have not been fully resolved by
scholars.

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Aesthetic Relativism and Aesthetic Universalism
Closely related to aesthetic universals is the concept of aesthetic relativism and aesthetic
universalism. Proponents of aesthetic relativism argue that a work of art is considered ―good‖
only in a specific culture, adding that this may not apply across all cultures. This rather facetious
approach towards universal aesthetic values, which fails to take into account, the elements
common to all cultures, is amplified by an apparent lack of global standards for measuring
aesthetics. Advocates of aesthetic universalism on the other hand, believe that cross-cultural
qualitative standards are possible in evaluating an object of beauty. It is not trite to mention that
the budding Nigerian home video industry glamorised as Nollywood, enjoys wide cross-cultural
acceptance that has helped burnish the image of the country (Lobato, 2009). Even though the art
of rituals, which is a key theme in some of the movies, tends to cast Nigerians in bad light, the
global appeal of Nigerian home videos lends strong support to the concept of aesthetic
universalism highlighted above.
This paper has so far tried to establish that human feelings influence aesthetics
judgements. It has attempted to enunciate specific instances where this happens to buttress its
arguments. It cites the example of the Victorians in Britain that disdained African sculpture, and
the Edwardians that admired artworks from the continent, as an example. It averred that an
individual‘s culture, class and level of education, govern to a large extent, his aesthetic values. It
highlighted the correlation between aesthetics and morality, stating that some people tend to
view objects of beauty with bad taste if such artworks offend their sensibilities. It mentioned the
negative feelings of Muslims in Senegal to the perceived controversial statue, to support this
argument.
The paper further established that people‘s religious views may affect their appreciation
of objects of beauty. It cited, as an example, the case of Muslims who consider artworks as an
imitation of nature and a disrespect to Allah; and Christians that have no such restrictions
concerning objects of beauty. These are some of the ways that this paper has been able to
establish a nexus between the feelings of the human person and aesthetics judgements. Having
dealt with aesthetics extensively, this article will now look at philosophy of science. To do this, it
may be helpful to disintegrate the concept into its component parts namely: philosophy and
science.
Philosophy of Science
The term ‗philosophy‘ derives from the Greek word philosophia, which means love of wisdom.
Lederman (2007) states that science is a body of knowledge, a set of methods and a way of
knowing. This means that scientific explorations seek to find answers to questions using some
established principles. Similarly, Kuhn (1962) describes science as a collection of facts, theories
and methods. Philosophy of science seeks to understand the nature of truth and knowledge. It
uses scientific approaches to arrive at answers to these problems. According to Singer (1994)
philosophy examines the relationships between humanity and nature; and between the individual
and society. In effect, philosophy of science is a systematic enquiry that analyses human relations
and draws conclusions based on its findings. However, there is no unanimity among
philosophers as to the precise definition of the term ‗philosophy.‘
Non-Western cultures particularly in Asia, also had their own philosophers who were
quite influential. Confucius, for instance, was a renowned Chinese philosopher. Although
African philosophers have equally contributed to the field, they seldom receive mention in the
Western world. One of the ways African philosophers have deepened understanding of
philosophy is through oral literature (Biakolo, 1999). This was the earliest form of historical
record available then in Africa. Oyeshile (2008) adds that folklores, myth, and religion, constitute
some of the elements of African philosophy. Similarly, Eze (1997) contends that the Europeans,

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who derided Africans for not having a written form of literature, have since admitted that there
was some measure of civilisation on the continent before the arrival of the white man, in the
light of new evidence that archaeological findings have revealed.
Essentially, philosophy of science investigates the different branches of science, asking
central questions such as: ‗What is science?‘ ‗What is not science?‘ and ‗How do we achieve
scientific progress?‘ There appears to be no consensus among philosophers about the answers to
these questions. This leads to the concepts in philosophy of science. These concepts or
constructs will help in elucidating the philosophy of science and how it applies to human
reasoning.
Concepts in Philosophy of Science
The first concept is induction. This is a scientific method of reasoning in which a generalisation is
argued to be true based on individual examples that seem to fit with that generalisation. Ivan
Pavlov‘s famous classical conditioning experiment that involved his dog is an example of
inductive reasoning. One can also draw conclusion based on premises that are generally assumed
to be true. For instance, if plants and animals are made up of cells, it is safe to conclude that
living things possess cells. Francis Bacon promoted the inductive method of reasoning.
The second concept is deduction, which is a method of reasoning that draws conclusions
based on logic and rationality. It is through deductive reasoning that scientists are, for instance,
able to predict when an eclipse would occur, having studied patterns over the years. Rene
Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher, propounded this method of arriving at
scientific truth.
A third concept that this paper shall dwell on extensively is paradigm shifts and scientific
revolutions associated with Thomas Kuhn. Kuhn‘s epistemological studies in this field were first
published in his 1962 book: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which had a deep impact on the
development of the philosophy of science. In the book, he redefined scientific knowledge and
changed the mind-set of scientists.
Kuhn distinguishes between normal science, where scientists tackled problems within a
particular framework or paradigm, and revolutionary science, when the old paradigm is shown to
be false, through a series of often painstaking experimentations. This process where a new
construct emerges to challenge and refute a traditional theory is known as ‗paradigm shift.‘ For
instance, John Dalton‘s Atomic Theories held sway for years until Ernest Rutherford and other
scientists made new discoveries that upturned Dalton‘s postulates. One of Dalton‘s Atomic
Theories states that an atom is the smallest indivisible particle of an element that can take part in
a chemical reaction. This postulate endured for many years until advances in scientific knowledge
showed that an atom is indeed composed of three smaller parts namely: protons, electrons and
neutrons. This discovery, which led to a review of Dalton‘s theory, is a classic example that
supports the Kuhnian philosophy.
Normal science, according to Kuhn, follows laid down methods. However, in the
revolutionary science, scientists often break the rules in an attempt to challenge a paradigm. A
change becomes inevitable when overwhelming new evidence undermines faith in the existing
paradigm. A scientific revolution takes place when stakeholders eventually embrace this change.
According to Kuhn (1962), normal science must continually strive to bring theory and fact into
closer agreement. However, providing evidence that refutes an extant theory requires painstaking
research.
Another area that is quite pertinent to this discourse is the perennial dissonance
between the philosophy of science and religion. There is some sort of perceived irreconcilable

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difference between the two. In trying to reconcile science with religion, Albert Einstein once
said: ―science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.‖ This shows that the
raging conflict between science and religion is a result of ignorance. There really should be no
conflict between them as both strive in their own way to point mankind towards God.
Coming from this perspective, Kuhn, who likens revolutionary science to ‗religious
conversion,‘ says that three things make scientists to embrace a new concept. The first lies in the
assertion that the new paradigm has solved old problems. The second is the claim of its original
predictions. The third factor is its claim to simplicity. In essence, the Kuhnian revolutionary
science is a gradual process that demands rigour and verification before it gains global
acceptance (Kuhn, 1962). That is why scientists often subject new concepts to rigorous tests to
confirm their validity and integrity.
Falsification, a view associated with Karl Popper, is another concept in philosophy of
science. According to him, scientific ideas can only be tested through falsification, not through a
quest for supporting evidence (Popper, 2004). He further argues that falsifiability is right
approach for scientists to employ to test their theories because it is only through this
methodology that they can truly ascertain the validity of an argument. Theories that endure this
interrogation are deemed to have passed the test of time. For instance, Copernicus and Galileo
were able to prove through observations of celestial activities that the earth moved round the
sun. This view, which was not popular in their day, has come to be accepted, following
confirmation by later studies.
The demarcation problem, which deals with the issue of distinguishing science from non-
science, is another concept in philosophy of science. For example, scholars are divided whether
psychotherapy should be considered science, because its methodologies are quite different from
those employed in pure scientific endeavours. Modern philosophers of science largely agree that
there is no single, simple criterion that can be used to demarcate the boundaries of science
(Laudan, 1983). This paper shares similar sentiments because scientific disciplines are often
correlated. It is interesting to note that while Kuhn and Popper have helped to expand the
frontiers of knowledge in the philosophy of science with their different postulates, Paul
Feyerabend, who is considered a ‗rebel‘ in the field, argues that there is really ‗no scientific
method‘ as such (Feyerabend, 1975). He contends that all methodologies lead to the same goal:
to explain a concept better, regardless of the approaches that they may take. Tsou (2006) defends
Feyerabend‘s revolutionary approach to scientific inquiry, arguing that it offers a more realistic
approach to resolving pluralistic scientific theories. Nevertheless, all the scholars cited in this
work have contributed in their own way to deepening understanding of how philosophy of
science influences the feelings of the human person.
Nexus between Aesthetics, Philosophy of Science and the Human Person
Having established the key concepts in philosophy of science, and having reviewed Kuhn‘s
paradigmatic shift from normal to revolutionary science, which is often regarded as a defining
moment in scientific exploration, the paper will now highlight some of the key areas where
science, particularly the biological and the behavioural sciences, have attempted to elucidate
human behaviour, using several conceptual models.
In October 2007, respected Nobel Laureate, James Watson made a controversial
statement that turned him into a pariah instantly. In an interview, which The Sunday Times
published, Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the helical structure of the DNA, reportedly
states that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race, reinforcing stereotypes that
Kant and Hume had earlier promoted (Eze, 1997). Watson goes on to express his fears over the
future of Africans—a race he claims is lacking in intelligence (Milmo, 2013). This unfortunate
statement tends to suggest that Watson is not immune to delusion of grandeur. That the global

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scientific community was unanimous in flaying Watson over his alleged remarks on racial
inferiority of the African, proves that his assertion lacked merit. There is no established scientific
foundation for judging intelligence based on an individual‘s geographical location or race.
Although Watson later claimed that he was quoted out of context, the damage was already done
(Ceci & Williams, 2009). However, this is not to diminish his breakthrough discovery of the
DNA, which has helped unravel human behaviour. For instance, building on Watson‘s
discovery, scientific studies have established that some people with criminal tendencies have an
extra ‗Y‘ chromosome that makes them more aggressive than those with the normal ‗XY‘
chromosome. This obviously has implications for crime control.
Another scientific approach that helps in explaining the feelings of the human is
determinism. This is a term in psychology which proposes that human behaviour is predictable and
caused by a number of factors. For instance, studies have shown that children whose parents are
violent, often end up becoming violent parents themselves (Bandura, 1961). This, therefore,
means that such children inherit the genes that predispose them to violence from their parents.
In other words, this form of determinism is influenced by internal factors as opposed to external
or environmental form of determinism that Skinner (1957) propounded. In his environmental
determinism, Skinner identified physical and psychological reinforcers and punishments as
factors that govern a person‘s behaviour. He argues that people tend to be law-abiding because
they are afraid of being punished when they do wrong. These are various ways in which
philosophy of science has helped to explain the feelings of the human person.
Taking aesthetics and philosophy of science together, the paper believes there is
convergence of sorts between the two concepts, and how they look at human behaviour. For
instance, both view the individual as a rational creature that is capable of making informed
judgements, which may be positive or negative as the case may be. This shows some kind of
interdependence between the two. It is this symbiotic relationship that has helped in establishing
order and meaning in the experiences of the human person.
Conclusion
This paper has looked at the various dimensions and concepts of aesthetics and the philosophy
of science. It then attempted to establish the relationship between aesthetics, the philosophy of
science, and the feelings of the human. It adds an African perspective to the treatise and cites
apposite examples such as disposition of the Senegalese Muslims to the statue, which the
immediate past President of the country had erected during his tenure; and ICC‘s sentencing of
the man who allegedly instigated the destruction of historical monuments in Mali. It is the
position of this paper that although aesthetics and philosophy of science are quite different,
nevertheless, they have similar goals: to attempt to explain the feelings of the human persons in
various ways that the article has established.
This quote attributed to Jacob Bronowski, a Polish-born Mathematician, aptly
summarises the convergence of these tripartite concepts: ―Science is nothing else than the search
to discover unity in the wild variety of nature—or, more exactly, in the variety of our experience.
Poetry, painting, the arts are in the same search for unity in variety.‖
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Berlyne, D.E. (1971). Aesthetics and psychobiology. Appleton-Century-Crofts.

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